Wood chippers are used to break up various pieces of wood, including logs, tree trunks, limbs, and branches. A common wood chipper includes a feed roller motor, a feed roller, a feed chute, a chipping device, and a discharge chute. The feed roller motor typically drives the feed roller, which feeds material into the chipping device. The chipping device breaks the material into chips, which are then discharged from the discharge chute. Some chips are collected for a variety of uses.
The feed roller of a common wood chipper is typically configured with the feed roller level with the feed roller motor and feed drive shaft of the wood chipper when the feed chute is in an empty state. Thus, the feed roller of a common wood chipper will be approximately level with the feed roller motor of the wood chipper when the feed chute is empty. As material is placed into the feed chute, the feed roller is displaced upward to make space for the material. As the feed roller is displaced upward, the feed drive shaft connecting the feed motor to the feed roller is positioned at an angle upward from the motor to the feed roller.
As more and more material is inserted into the feed chute, the angle of the feed drive shaft becomes larger until it reaches a maximum angle when the feed chute is at a maximum capacity. As the angle of the feed drive shaft becomes larger, stress increases on the feed roller motor, feed drive shaft, feed roller, and feed system connecting joints. The stress caused by the feed drive shaft angle is particularly disadvantageous when the feed chute is near or at its maximum capacity. With the feed chute at maximum capacity, the feed roller requires more torque and power to feed the larger amounts of material into the chipping device. The feed roller does not have maximum torque or power when the feed drive shaft is disposed at a large angle from the feed roller motor and feed roller.
The feed roller of a common wood chipper might also have a first end and a second end that are displaceable independent of each other. Thus, when material is inserted into the feed chute and engaged by the feed roller, the material might move to one side or the other of the feed chute, causing the first end of the feed roller to rise higher than the second end or the second end to rise higher than the first end. When one of the two ends rises higher than the other, it causes the feed roller to angle. This is disadvantageous because an angled feed roller increases stress on the feed roller motor, feed drive shaft, feed roller, and feed system connecting joints.
A common wood chipper might also include a base with a large surface area that is helpful in keeping the wood chipper from sinking into soft soil. The bases of common wood chippers are typically shorter in width and length than the components of the wood chipper positioned above them, making the wood chippers less stable. Moreover, the unitary bases common to wood chippers make moving the wood chippers difficult. It is typically necessary to hoist a common wood chipper off the ground to move it, instead of sliding it on the ground. It is necessary with some common wood chippers to hoist the wood chipper with a crane and place it onto a vehicle for transport.